Monday Morning Rouser for a President’s Day from the Carolina Chocolate Drops. You’ll hear more from them later today.

The five items today are my five favorite presidential moments, limited to the period that I witnessed (I go back to Eisenhower but I’ll be darned if I can think of a huge Eisenhower moment that makes the top 5). They are listed in their order of impact.Yours may differ, in fact I hope they do. Add yours in the comments section below.

1) President Reagan’s Challenger speech

The president’s speech is just as relevant today as it was on the night of the worst space disaster in the nation’s history, especially considering how frightened the country seems to be about exploring, and the future. He talked to people who just wanted to stay put where we were. That, he said, is not who we are. “The future does not belong to the fainthearted,” he said. “It belongs to the brave.” That was then.

2) Richard Nixon’s resignation

People who didn’t live through the Nixon administration will have a hard time understanding a country coming apart at the seams. We should have known something was up in 1968 when he said he had a secret plan to end the war in Vietnam. All we had to do was elect him. What kind of person would keep a plan to end the war secret? The kind that would go on to obstruct justice, and sweep protesters off the street and hold them in a football stadium like a banana republic. Oh, and then get a pardon.

The day after he left office, the front page of most of the nation’s newspapers showed a picture of Gerald Ford making an English muffin. It was a breath of fresh air; a president willing to make himself a little breakfast. That’s how bad things were.

3) President Obama’s speech on race

He wasn’t president then, of course. He was a candidate under siege for having a pastor who said “god damn America.” His speech showed it’s possible — sort of — to talk about the role of race in our country in a calm and intellectual way. It also is a reminder of how much better Obama’s speeches were before he became president.

4) Clinton denies Lewinsky affair

The speech with the oratorical highlight of Bill Clinton’s second term was actually about education. We can argue still, I suppose, about whether the Monica Lewinsky scandal in the Clinton administration was a big deal or not. But the lesson Bill Clinton provided us that day was this one: People and politicians can look unbelievably truthful when they lie.

5) President Bush at the World Trade Center site

Based on one of my posts from last week, it’s easy — and accurate — to conclude that it’s still impossible to have a civil conversation about President George Bush, but you have to remember the context of the time. The country was — with a few exceptions — unified in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. For that reason alone, it’s worth remembering this moment. One wonders what it will take to unify the country again?

Honorable mention:President Jimmy Carter’s “malaise” speech. He never used the word in the speech but that’s how it’s known. Carter tried to say essentially the same thing Reagan said in the speech above, thus proving the historical value of a good speechwriter.

TODAY’S QUESTION

The official federal holiday being observed today is Washington’s Birthday. Minnesota law calls it Washington and Lincoln’s birthday, but many people – as well as stores and businesses — just call it President’s Day. Who’s your favorite U.S. president?

WHAT WE’RE DOING

I’m off today so posting will be light. That’s right, I got up early today just to write this post. And to figure out what to do with the new snow on the driveway.

Midmorning (9-11 a.m.) – First hour: Charges of being soft on terrorism dog the Obama administration, even as the president expands the war in Afghanistan and the fight against the Taliban in Pakistan continues as well. Author and historian Julian Zelizer explains the charge against a Democratic president is not new in the annals of history.

Second hour: The venerable acapella group Sweet Honey in the Rock draws on musical influences from folk to classical to gospel and fuses a smooth sound. The sweet melodies wrap around lyrics on the struggle for human rights.

About the blogger

Bob Collins has been with Minnesota Public Radio since 1992, emigrating to Minnesota from Massachusetts where he was VP of programming for Berkshire Broadcasting Co. He was an editor at the RKO Radio Network in New York, and WHDH Radio in Boston. He is the founder of the MPR News’ website. He is a private pilot and flies an airplane he built.

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I would slot another speech right behind (or alongside) President Reagan’s Challenger speech: President Reagan’s Berlin speech on June 12, 1987 when he famously said, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

Of course, the wall did come down roughly two years later in late 1989. World politics and economics have not been the same since.

Bob Collins

I was thinking about that speech but I didn’t select it for a couple of reasons. (1) I didn’t see it live at the time and (2) It was just another photo op (to me) at the time; another taunting anti-Soviet speech, like so many others. It achieved its historical significance much later (again, to me).

John O.

Your points are well-taken. I would ask (at least) consideration of an asterisk.

The Reagan speech was delivered celebrating the 750th anniversary of Berlin. This was obviously a significant milestone given the modern history of Berlin and correlating Allied support preserving West Berlin.

The other significant speech that is similar in the sense that the historical significance came later was President Kennedy’s speech calling for the U.S. to put men on the moon before the end of the 1960’s. Like Reagan’s speech nearly 25 years later, it was a call to action.

Many of the technologies we take for granted today can trace their roots back to the space program of the 1960’s. (Hey, where would we be without Velcro?)

For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.

Elizabeth T

it is not so much a specific president I admire – they each have their ups & downs – but I stand in awe of the mythology we have collectively created about men who truly require none.

George Washington & the Cherry Tree just annoy me. (my kids came home with little pictures thereof, having had the story read to them) Pres. Washington was without question one of the most important presidents we’ve had. He managed to lead the Continental Army to victory, became president, and then stepped down. (the last not being quite so assured as today) Who needs fables? Who cares about some mythological tree …?

Rather than have kids be fed political pap – why not simply read real stories about the President(s)?